April Fools' pranks: Stone Balloon 'news' a winner

April Fools' Day pranks tend to be more miss than hit, more troublesome than entertaining.

But one which appears to have been enjoyed was pulled off this week by Bill Stevenson, former owner of The Stone Balloon, one of Newark's most-loved but now gone bars and music venues. It was torn down in 2006 and the Main Street location is now home to condominiums and the 16 Mile Taphouse.

Stevenson's prank was pulled off on his Facebook page, where he posted, "Great News everyone!

"I just got a call from The City of Newark! They have issued a building permit for The New Stone Balloon.

"It is going to be bigger than the original Balloon, with two stages," he continued. "It will have 8 bars, and 4 first class dressing rooms."

Stevenson went on in his post to say the "University of Delaware has donated 4 acres on Delaware Avenue, just behind the old Balloon location!"

The post had more than 200 "likes" and 150-plus comments: "Awesome news," "WOW!!! Great news!! I loved the Balloon!!!!!!!!!!"

Stevenson continued his prank not by saying his post was an April Fools' joke done by him – as many of those commenting had guessed – but that the "call from the City of Newark was an April Fools Joke" pulled ON him after the idea came up last week while UD President Patrick Harker, former Mayor Vance A. Funk III, Gov. Jack Markell and Bruce Springsteen were out having breakfast together at The Post House.

OK... that last part was a bit much. But it's still a pretty good April Fools' joke, preying on our longing for the more carefree days of our youth.

Much better than the April Fools' prank a South Carolina woman pulled on her daughter.

The woman, Angela Timmons, 54, was arrested Tuesday after falsely reporting a shooting at a Spartanburg, S.C., college campus where she worked. More than a dozen deputies responded to the campus after a woman called 911, saying she got a text from her mother reporting shots had been fired at the campus and that she was hiding.

But as deputies arrived, the daughter called 911 again to say she had received another message from her mother, who said the initial text had been an April Fools' prank. Deputies located Timmons at the college and admitted sending the message to her daughter. She was promptly arrested.

Unlike Stevenson, who was a winner with his April Fools' joke, the South Carolina mom turned out to be the April fool of all April fools with hers.

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